Chronic binge eating poses a health risk to diabetics and non-diabetics alike, but the problem is made significantly more dangerous by the rapid insulin changes that can occur in people with diabetes. Further complicating the matter is the fact that the urge to binge-eat is both psychological and physiological for diabetics.

To help manage episodes of bingeing, the American Diabetes Association recommends keeping a record of the incidents. Diabetics will want to note several important facts in their food diaries: the time of day that binging tends to occur, the foods they tend to focus on and the “triggers” that lead them to binge. Triggers can include emotional despair and stress, as well as more physiological factors such as overwhelming cravings. Share your food diary with your doctor or diabetes specialist to discuss possible preventive treatments for binge eating.